Method of ornamentation and apparatus therefor



p 1935- R. s. COLLEY METHOD OF ORNA MENTATION AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 25, 1934 RUE T721272? E/Z 5'50/[57 Z3 Juss Patented Sept. 3, i935 METHOD or ORNAMENTATION AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Application August 25, 1934, Serial 'No. 741,443

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the ornamentation of surfaces by the use of rubber, and especially to ornamentation by adhering on or in the surface of the article to be ornamented a film or layer of rubber of a different color or shade and in the desired design.

The chief objects of the invention are to provide convenient procedure for eifecting such ornamentation, to provide apparatus for conveniently carryingout the procedure, and to provide for producing unusual and attractive ornamental effects. A more specific object is to provide for producing rubber surfaces with attractive gossamer, mottled or veined appearances.

These and furtherobjects will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a drum and spray gun constructed according to and embodying the invention in its preferred form, and illustrating a step in the preferred procedure of the invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the drum of Fig; 1

and other apparatus of the preferred embodiw ment, and illustrating further steps in the preferred procedure.

Fig. 3 is'a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a. rubber sheet ornamented in accordance with the invention.

' According to-the preferred procedure of the invention a liquid dispersion of rubber, preferably an aqueous dispersion thereof, of the desired color for ornamentation is deposited in a suitable manner, as by spraying, upon a surface which desirably is smooth so that 'the deposit can subsequently be removed conveniently. The surface may be of any suitablematerial, such as glass, porcelain, steel or polished wood. The dispersion is deposited upon the surface in such an amount and distribution that elements thereof touch and cohere with one anotherto form a web of the deposit that, is irregularly perforate in the spots the dispersion has not reached; This web is permitted to dry, at least partially, and is then removed from the surface and is considerably stretched in one or more directions of the sheet so that the interconnecting portions of the deposit are distended and become more tenuous, and the openings are enlarged and changed in shape. In this manner a mottled, veined or gossamer web may be produced as desired. 1 I

The web in its stretched condition is then adhered to the surface of a backing material, which may be a sheet of rubber, and preferably the web is pressed into the surface of the rubber 55 backing in flush. relation while both are yet unvulcanized. After shaping or manipulating the ornamented rubber sheet as desired it may then be vulcanized to provide the desired article, for example a mat.

Variegated effects may be produced, if desired, by depositing the ornamenting film from dispersions of two or more colors or shades.

The procedure may be conveniently carried out with the aid of the illustrated apparatus.

The liquid dispersion of rubber is sprayed, as

by means of a spray gun ID, in a perforate web A upon the surface of a drum II. This drumds splined at l2, l3 upon a shaft I4, the splined arrangement being for a. purpose described hereinafter. The shaft M is journaled in supporting trunnions l5, I6 and is driven by means of a sprocket chain I! from the end pulley l8 of a driven conveyor belt l9.

This belt is arranged to draw upon it sheet material, such as unvulcanized rubber C, from a lined roll D thereof suitably supported at 20, the liner of which is rewound in a roll E as the sheet rubber is drawn onto the conveyor.

Above the conveyor pulley I8 is mounted a roller 2|, driven by gearing 22 from the pulley l8 and cooperating therewith and. with the conveyor belt to press the material that is fed between them.

After the perforate rubber web A has dried sufficiently to permit its removal from the drum II, the web is fed between the roller 2| and the belt. The arrangement is such that the linear W speed of the conveyor belt and the surface of the roller 2| considerably exceeds the peripheral speed of the drum H, so that the web A is materially stretched at B and in its stretched condition is pressed into adhesion with, and desirably embedded in the surface of, the sheet rubber C. The trailing end of the web may be manually restrained as it is fed to produce a stretched condition throughout the length of the web.

In order to provide directional variations in the disposition of the ornamentating web, in case that is desired, the stretching being undirectional, the drum H is provided with a cam portion 23 at one of its ends cooperating with a. cam operating member at 24 fixed to the support IS. The arrangement is such that an axial reciprocating motion is imparted to the drum H along its splined shaft as the drum is rotated and the rubber film is fed in the transverse direction, so that the ornamenting web B is fed onto the sheet rubber C in a wavy fashion;

In the apparatus thus far described the process is intermittent; that is, the ornamenting webs are successively deposited upon the roller surface, dried and then drawn off. The process may be made continuous, if desired, by providing ing is not too great, the friction of the deposit on the drum will prevent slippage of the deposit as a whole, but if desired, a presser roll 2'! may be suitably arranged to resist pulling of the deposit still on the drum.

' In the case where the ornamenting web is pressed into a rubber backing, it is desirable that the latter be in a somewhat more plastic condition thanthe rubber of the web, so that the rubber of the backing will yield preferentially and the result will be a very cleanly formed margin of the inset deposit. a

I claim:

1. The method of ornamenting an article which comprises providing a perforate deposit of rubber, stretching it to alter the shape of the rubber portions and openings therebetween, and adhering it in the stretched shape to the surface of the article.

2. Themethod of ornainenting a rubber body which comprises providing a perforate deposit of rubber, stretching it to alter the shape of the rubber portions and openings' therebetween, and pressing it in its stretched shape in the surface of the rubber body while the latter is still unvulcanized.

3; The. method of ornamenting an article which comprises depositing upon a supporting surface a liquid dispersion of rubber to provide a perforate deposit thereof by the disposition of the elements of the dispersion and coherence of them with one another, at least partially drying the deposit; removing it from the supporting surface, stretching it to alter the shape of the elements and openings comprising a supporting surface, means for detherebetween, and adhering it in its stretched shape to a surface of the said article.

4. The method of omamenting an article which comprises depositing upon a supporting surface a liquid dispersion of rubber to provide an irregularly perforate deposit thereof by chance disposition of the elements of the dispersion and coherence of them with one another, removing the perforate deposit from the supporting surface and adhering it to a surface of the said article.

5. The method of ornamenting anarticle which comprises depositing upon a supporting surface a. liquid dispersion of rubber to provide an irregu larly perforate deposit thereof by chance disposition of the elements of the dispersion and coherence ofthem with one another, at least partially drying the deposit, removing from the supporting surface, stretching it to alter the shape of the elements and openings therebetween, and adhering it in its stretched shape to a surface of the said article.

6. Apparatus for making ornamented material positing upon said surface a liquid dispersion of rubber, means for stretching the deposit, means for supporting'the material to be ornamented,

and means for feeding the deposit from the sup-:

porting surface and pressing itonto the material.

7. Apparatus for making ornamented material comprising a drum, means for depositing upon the surfacethereof elements of a liquid dispersion of rubber in cohesion with one another; means 1 for drawing sheet material from a source of supply and the deposit from the drum surface and the two into'superimposed and adhered relation, and means for driving the drawing means and the drum and for driving .the drawing means at a speed greater than that of the drum to stretch the deposit as it is drawn from the drum.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 comprising means for oscillating the deposit in the direction of the width of the sheet material uponwhich it is fed to impart a wavy disposition to the ornamenting deposit. g

i RUSSELL S. COLLEY. A 

